Mitch Calvert
The Muskie girls’ basketball teams both stretched their NorWOSSA records to 3-1 with wins over the Kenora Broncos last Thursday at the “Fish Tank.”
The seniors continued their strong defensive play with a 29-24 win while the juniors dominated from start to finish in a 21-6 romp.
The black-and-gold held a slim 6-4 lead at the half, but then blew the game open over the final two quarters.
Seven different Muskies got on the scoresheet, with Mary Strain, Erika Moffitt, Kelsea Hunsperger, and Jessica Robinson all netting four points.
“It was a good effort from the players off the bench turning up the heat a little bit,” Muskie junior co-coach Mike Krueger said.
The slow start was disconcerting—but not for lack of effort.
“We got a lot of good shots and they weren’t going down [in the first half],” noted co-coach Dan Bird.
“But those will come if we continue to work it around so our shooters aren’t forced to put up those 12- and 14-footers,” he added.
“Our guards got caught up a little high in our 2-3 and that’s when they [Kenora] got four of their six points in the paint,” Bird recalled. “But they closed that off in the second half.
“I’m happy with how the girls are being more patient with the ball and working it around,” he continued.
“When we had our fast breaks, our players started to recognize that if they didn’t have a good chance at the hoop, they went for a reset, and that’s what we want.”
After giving up 31 points in their lone blemish (a 31-25 loss to the Eagles on Oct. 6), the junior Muskies must be commended for their sound defensive play last Thursday against Kenora.
“We had everyone moving as soon as that ball moves, and it was hard for them [the Broncos] to get good looks at the hoop because of that,” Bird enthused.
“We’re happy with the team effort, for sure.”
The Muskies will look to get revenge on the Eagles here tomorrow (Oct. 15).
“We definitely beat ourselves in Dryden,” Bird admitted. “We turned the ball over.
“We created more steals than Dryden, but we were just giving it back to them.
“We’ve just got to take care of our next two at home against Dryden,” Bird stressed.
